Cell for inserting components into a workpiece

Abstract

A cell for mounting components in a workpiece includes a pressing device for inserting at least two different components into a workpiece using pressure. The device includes: a press, a plurality of pushers and a striking plate. The pushers are situated vertically and configured to receive the force exerted by the press. One end of each pusher is configured to receive a component to be inserted in the workpiece. The striking plate is configured to bear the insertion stresses exerted by the press and includes a plurality of support points that may be moved until they are alternatively positioned in an aligned way with a pusher arranged coaxially to the press. The cell includes a robot provided with a claw, the robot being configured to hold the workpiece and position it in the pressing device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A cell for mounting components on a workpiece, the cell comprises:
 a pressing device to insert, using pressure, at least two components in a corresponding number of holes of a workpiece, wherein the pressing device in turn comprises: a press having an actuation shaft; a plurality of pushers, each including a shaft, arranged to individually receive a component of said at least two components to be inserted, wherein the shaft of each of the pushers is parallel to said actuation shaft of the press, the pushers being configured to move and be alternatively situated coaxially to the press in order to receive force exerted by said press and transmit it to the component to be inserted into the hole of the workpiece; a striking plate that is configured to bear insertion stresses exerted by said press, where the striking plate is configured to turn around a shaft parallel to said actuation shaft and comprises a plurality of support points that may be moved in order to be alternatively positioned in an aligned way with a pusher of said plurality of pushers that is arranged coaxially to the press; and a linear manipulator configured to move the pushers until one of them is aligned with the press, the linear manipulator enabling the pushers to be moved up to loading positions of the at least two components to be inserted, coming from a storage or feeder system, and wherein said at least two components are provided simultaneously to respective pushers, and 
 a robot configured to position the workpiece in the pressing device such that one of the holes of the workpiece is between the pusher and the support of the striking plate and aligned with the shaft of the press, the robot being foreseen to locate the workpiece on the striking device without releasing the workpiece and hold the workpiece during an insertion operation but without force being carried out. 
 
     
     
       2. The cell of  claim 1 , where said plurality of pushers are configured to receive a respective plurality of components, where said components are of at least a first type and at least a second type that is different to the first one. 
     
     
       3. The cell of  claim 1 , where the pushers comprise a portion that is common or identical to all of them and a lower portion that is specific for each component that is to be inserted, the said lower portion being configured to receive the push from the common portion when the press is activated. 
     
     
       4. The cell of  claim 3 , in which the lower portion is interchangeable to enable the component to be inserted to be changed and use the same pusher to insert several components. 
     
     
       5. The cell of  claim 1 , where said press is an electro press. 
     
     
       6. The cell of  claim 1 , where the press is arranged vertically and the robot holds the workpiece below the press such that one of the holes of the workpiece is in a vertical position. 
     
     
       7. The cell of  claim 1 , where said linear manipulator is configured to provide simultaneously a plurality of components of at least a first type and at least a second type that is different from the first type, to be coupled to a respective plurality of pushers of the pressing device. 
     
     
       8. The cell of  claim 1 , where the workpieces are arranged on a plurality of overpallets comprising a plurality of reference elements configured to indicate the position and orientation in which a workpiece is placed on at least one overpallet. 
     
     
       9. The cell of  claim 8 , where said robot is configured to pick up the at least one overpallet having the workpiece placed thereon and carry the at least one overpallet having the workpiece placed thereon to the pressing device. 
     
     
       10. The cell of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a conveyor belt configured to transport a plurality of transport implements; and 
 a plurality of overpallets that are configured to be placed on a respective transport implement, wherein each of the overpallets comprises a plurality of reference elements designed to indicate the position and orientation in which a workpiece must be placed on at least one overpallet. 
 
     
     
       11. The cell of  claim 1 , where a claw of said robot comprises a lower clamp, an upper clamp, and at least one pusher. 
     
     
       12. The cell of  claim 11 , where the lower clamp of said claw may comprise two symmetrical arms, inside which there is a number of guides arranged that are configured to hold an overpallet. 
     
     
       13. A cell for mounting components on a workpiece, the cell comprises:
 a workpiece comprising a plurality of holes, 
 a pressing device to insert, using pressure, at least two components in a corresponding number of holes of the workpiece, wherein the pressing device in turn comprises: a press having an actuation shaft; a plurality of pushers arranged to individually receive a component of said at least two components to be inserted, wherein the shaft of each of the pushers is parallel to said actuation shaft of the press, the pushers being configured to move and be alternatively situated coaxially to the press in order to receive the force exerted by said press and transmit it to the component to be inserted into the hole of the workpiece; a striking plate that is configured to bear the insertion stresses exerted by said press, where the striking plate is configured to turn around a shaft parallel to said actuation shaft and comprises a plurality of support points that may be moved in order to be alternatively positioned in an aligned way with a pusher of said plurality of pushers that is arranged coaxially to the press; and a linear manipulator configured to move the pushers until one of them is aligned with the press, the linear manipulator enabling the pushers to be moved up to loading positions of the at least two components to be inserted, coming from a storage or feeder system, and wherein said at least two components are provided simultaneously to respective pushers; and 
 a robot configured to position the workpiece in the pressing device such that one of the holes of the workpiece is between the pusher and the support of the striking plate and aligned with the shaft of the press, the robot being foreseen to locate the workpiece on the striking device without releasing the workpiece and hold the workpiece during the insertion operation but without force being carried out. 
 
     
     
       14. The cell of  claim 13 , where said plurality of pushers are configured to receive a respective plurality of components, where said components are of at least a first type and at least a second type that is different to the first one. 
     
     
       15. The cell of  claim 13 , where the pushers comprise a portion that is common or identical to all of them and a lower portion that is specific for each component that is to be inserted, the said lower portion being configured to receive the push from the common portion when the press is activated, wherein the lower portion is interchangeable to enable the component to be inserted to be changed and use the same pusher to insert several components. 
     
     
       16. The cell of  claim 13 , where the press is arranged vertically and the robot holds the workpiece below the press such that one of the holes of the workpiece is in a vertical position. 
     
     
       17. The cell of  claim 13 , where said linear manipulator is configured to provide simultaneously a plurality of components of at least a first type and at least a second type that is different from the first type, to be coupled to a respective plurality of pushers of the pressing device. 
     
     
       18. The cell of  claim 13 , where the workpieces are arranged on a plurality of overpallets comprising a plurality of reference elements configured to indicate the position and orientation in which a workpiece is placed on at least one overpallet, wherein the robot is configured to pick up the at least one overpallet having the workpiece placed thereon and carry the at least one overpallet having the workpiece placed thereon to the pressing device. 
     
     
       19. The cell of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a conveyor belt configured to transport a plurality of transport implements; and 
 a plurality of overpallets that are configured to be placed on a respective transport implement, wherein each of the overpallets comprises a plurality of reference elements designed to indicate the position and orientation in which a workpiece must be placed on at least one overpallet. 
 
     
     
       20. The cell of  claim 13 , wherein said workpiece is a knuckle.